The Truce: Progressives, Centrists, and the Future of the Democratic Party
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
An inside story of the Democratic Party at a moment of great peril.
Even before the cataclysmic 2016 election, the Democratic Party had long been at war with itself—yet Joe Biden’s narrow victory in 2020 bridged the divide. Facing the dire threat of a second Trump administration, Democrats forged an unlikely but effective coalition that stalled Trumpism at the ballot box and enacted a raft of consequential legislation. But how long can the uneasy peace hold, and can Biden win again?
The Truce is a definitive history of a half-decade of upheaval in the Democratic Party in which a new generation aggressively pursued their progressive ideals while the powerful, centrist establishment adapted to remain in command. Journalists Hunter Walker and Luppe B. Luppen illuminate this story of backroom maneuvering and political strategy with new revelations about pivotal events and exclusive, on-the-record comments from activists, campaign operatives, and members of Congress.
The Truce explores the major fault lines that define Democratic politics today and asks big questions about the future of the party. Will economic or social justice hold primacy at the top of the Democratic agenda? Who will lead the major wings of the party after two defining figures, Biden and Sanders, exit the stage? The Truce surveys the major shifts underway, from the rise of the Squad and new Democratic leadership in the House to a complete overhaul of the primary process. By digging into the divide between left and center, Walker and Luppen expose the creeping generational and political tensions that Biden has—for the moment—kept at bay.
An engrossing work, and a surprising page-turner, The Truce grapples with the dangers that threaten American democracy and the complicated cast of characters who are trying to save it.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Joe Biden has forged a fractious but productive relationship with the left wing of the Democratic Party, according to this canny political investigation. Journalists Walker (The Breach) and Luppen spotlight milestones in the development of present-day Democratic politics, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's rise to progressive stardom; Sen. Bernie Sanders's 2020 Democratic primary loss to Joe Biden, who then gave Sanders and other lefties significant influence over his platform to promote party unity; the friction between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and AOC and her squad of progressive congresswomen of color; and the cooperation between President Biden and House progressives led by Rep. Pramila Jayapal, who compromised on left initiatives to help Biden's landmark American Rescue Act and Inflation Reduction Act get past the concerns of centrist senator Joe Manchin. The authors probe stubborn fissures remaining in the Democratic Party as well, including the infighting between progressive and centrist congressional candidates in New York State in the 2020 midterm elections, which helped the Democrats lose three seats to Republicans. Drawing on dozens of interviews with pols and staffers, Walker and Luppen combine shrewd political analysis with lively, deeply reported scenes of backroom deal brokering and campaign horse race drama. The result is a revealing look at a seminal party transformation that has birthed the most potent left-wing politics in decades.
